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Charities Services Ngā Rātonga Kaupapa Atawhai
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Annual return checklist for smaller charities (.pdf)

Date Published: 12 Feb 2020

51 KB

This one-page checklist intended to help Tier 4 charities know what information they need to be recording over the course of their financial year in order to complete their annual return and performance report.

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Information and guidance

Reporting

Annual Return Form - Tier 4 charity (2024) (.pdf)

Date Published: 2 May 2024

1.2 MB

Use this form to file an annual return for a Tier 4 charity, for a reporting period that began on or after 1 April 2024. This version can also be used for periods that ended after 15 June 2023 if you choose to adopt the new reporting standards early.

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Form

Annual Return Form - Tier 3 charity (2024) (.pdf)

Date Published: 2 May 2024

1.1 MB

Use this form to file an annual return for a Tier 3 charity, for a reporting period that began on or after 1 April 2024. This version can also be used for periods that ended after 15 June 2023 if you choose to adopt the new reporting standards early.

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Form

Annual Return Form - Combined Tier 4 Performance Report and Annual Return (.pdf)

Date Published: 2 May 2024

1.3 MB

Use this form to file a combined annual return and performance report for a Tier 4 charity, for a reporting period that began on or after 1 April 2024. This version can also be used for periods that ended after 15 June 2023 if you choose to adopt the new reporting standards early.

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Form

Annual reporting to Charities Services - A guide for Tier 3 charities (.pdf)

Date Published: 12 Aug 2021

3 MB

Guide that explains the process for reporting annually to Charities Services for Tier 3 charities, including filing an annual return and preparing a performance report.

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Information and guidance

Reporting

Annual reporting to Charities Services - A guide for Tier 4 charities (.pdf)

Date Published: 12 Aug 2021

2.9 MB

Guide that explains the process for reporting annually to Charities Services for Tier 4 charities, including filing an annual return and preparing a performance report.

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Information and guidance

Reporting

Annual return form - Tier 3 charity (2016) (.pdf)

Date Published: 7 Apr 2016

704 KB

Use this form to file an annual return for a Tier 3 Charity.

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Form

Reporting

Annual return form - Tier 4 charity (2016) (.pdf)

Date Published: 7 Apr 2016

758 KB

Use this form to file an annual return for a Tier 4 Charity.

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Form

Reporting

Automated Cash Book for Tiers 3 and 4 (.xlsx)

Date Published: 6 May 2019

522 KB

The Automated Cash Book tool is a Microsoft Excel workbook which will help you track your transactions throughout your financial year and summarise them into the required format for the Statement of Receipts and Payments or the Statement of Cash Flows.

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Reporting

Template

Charity Handbook (.pdf)

Date Published: 16 Jul 2021

356 KB

The Charity Handbook has been designed to help you keep track of the information that you need to run your charity. You can also use it as a handover document for new members.

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Template

Charity Law in New Zealand (.pdf)

Date Published: 30 Jun 2013

3.2 MB

Written by Dr Donald Poirier, a senior employee of the Department of Internal Affairs Charities Services, Charity Law in New Zealand provides an up-to-date analysis of charity law in this country.

Charities Services believes this online book will be useful to those in the legal profession as well as the wider charity and not-for-profit sector.

The book is also intended to promote a wider understanding for all New Zealanders of the structure and complexities of charity law.

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Research and reports

Deregistration Form (.pdf)

Date Published: 29 Nov 2016

376 KB

Use this form to deregister your charity if you no longer wish to be a registered charity.

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Form

Guide: How to use a conflict of interest register (.pdf)

Date Published: 9 Jun 2020

886 KB

This guide identifies different types of conflicts of interest, how to identify and record them in a conflict of interest register, and steps to take when a conflict of interest arises during decision making.

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Information and guidance

Governance

Governance in a crisis for small charities (.pdf)

Date Published: 20 Jul 2020

77 KB

A crisis can be a difficult time to be on a committee or board of a charity. Times of crisis present many challenges, but they can also present opportunities for boards to rethink how they can best support their charity. This resource outlines 5 key tips for governance of charities when crisis hits. It has been adapted from JB Were’s guidance on leadership in times of crisis.

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Information and guidance

Governance

Governance information for new officers (.pdf)

Date Published: 20 Sep 2019

850 KB

As an officer your biggest is to act in the best interest of your charity, making sure it remains focused on its purpose and the benefit it provides to the public.
This resource is a starting point to help you understand your role as an officer and how you can contribute to governing your charity well.

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Information and guidance

Governance

How to complete your performance report and your annual return (.pdf)

Date Published: 22 Apr 2024

462 KB

This resource is intended to help Tier 4 charities complete their performance report and submit their annual return. 

As a registered charity you are required to complete your performance report and submit your annual return no later than six months after the end of your financial year. This short, simple guide outlines what you will need to complete your performance report and annual return easily and accurately.

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Information and guidance

Reporting

Officer Kit - A resource for certified officers of registered charities (.pdf)

Date Published: 1 Jul 2014

5.5 MB

This resource aims to help you understand the responsibilities of being a certified officer of a registered charity. It also provides information about Charities Services and the benefits and obligations of being a registered charity, answers some common questions, and recommends useful resources.

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Information and guidance

Protect your charity against terrorism financing and other risks (.pdf)

Date Published: 14 Feb 2020

1.3 MB

A number of New Zealand's registered charities operate overseas, and do so in a variety of ways. Charities send money or goods overseas, undertake work ‘on the ground’, and fund or deliver programmes in partnership with overseas-based organisations. As part of our role to help charities in relation to matters of good governance and management, we have pulled together some information about how to address these challenges.

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Information and guidance

Registration information for marae on a Māori reservation (.pdf)

Date Published: 23 Nov 2017

309 KB

Information for marae on a Māori reservation who would like to apply to become a
registered charity.

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Information and guidance

Registration

Registration - Is your organistion considering registering as a charity? (.pdf)

Date Published: 30 Jun 2014

11 MB

Deciding to become a registered charity creates opportunities and obligations for an organisation. This resource aims to help you understand what these opportunities and obligations are.

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Information and guidance

Registration

Reporting timeline for Tier 3 and 4 charities (.pdf)

Date Published: 28 Apr 2021

122 KB

This step-by-step reporting timeline outlines the steps Tier 3 and Tier 4 charities should take, and when they should take them, in order to complete their performance report within 6 months of their balance date.

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Information and guidance

Reporting

Tier 3 performance report template (Excel) (.xlsx)

Date Published: 6 Mar 2019

420 KB

Tier 3 performance report optional template in Microsoft Excel format.

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Template

Reporting

Tier 4 Performance Report Template (Excel) (.xlsx)

Date Published: 6 Mar 2019

331 KB

Tier 4 performance report optional template in Microsoft Excel format.

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Template

Reporting

Tier 4 Performance Report Template (Word) (.docx)

Date Published: 21 Apr 2019

119 KB

Tier 4 performance report optional template in Microsoft Word format.

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Template

Reporting

Top ten tips to protect your charity from fraud (.pdf)

Date Published: 29 Aug 2019

167 KB

Charities, like any organisation or individual, can be the victims of fraud. here are Charities Services' top ten tips to prevent fraud in your charity.

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Information and guidance

Governance